A product-oriented
strategic
plan presenting a clear vision of
success to help Africa achieve almost 90 percent
self-sufficiency in rice by year 2020 – with at
least 10 countries projected to reach over 100
percent self-sufficiency – has just been
unveiled by the Africa Rice
Center
(AfricaRice).

Despite significant increases in
rice production in several African countries
over the last few years, the continent imports
nearly 40 percent of its rice requirements,
which makes it highly exposed to international
market shocks.

“Our new 10-year strategic plan
shows clearly that rice sector development can
become an engine for economic growth across the
continent,” said AfricaRice Director General Dr.
Papa
Abdoulaye Seck.

The plan takes into account the
rapid changes taking place in the global and
African contexts and builds on the Center’s
accumulated knowledge, experience and
partnership.

With the
productivity-enhancing research and
development (R&D) activities presented in
the strategy, rice production in sub-Saharan
Africa (SSA) will increase from 18.4 million
tons in 2010 to 46.8 million tons by 2020.

As a result of income
benefits from the increased rice supply, at
least 11 million people (including rice
farmers, consumers, processors and traders)
in the continent will be lifted above the
$1.25 poverty line by 2020 and about 5.6
million undernourished people will reach
caloric sufficiency.

New “future-ready”
rice-based production systems will have been
developed with farmers to respond to the
challenge of climate change and increasing
water scarcity.

SSA will have improved R&D
capacity by 2020, through at least 30 PhD
and MSc fellowships per year and the
training of about 100 technicians per year,
with at least one third of fellowships and
internships reserved for women.

The strategy articulates seven
research-for-development (R4D) priority areas,
identified through a systematic process
involving extensive consultations with
stakeholders and based on household surveys and
national statistics in SSA:

Conserving rice genetic
resources and providing smallholder farmers
with climate-resilient rice varieties that
are better adapted to production
environments and consumer preferences

Improving rural livelihoods
by closing yield gaps and through
sustainable intensification and
diversification of rice-based systems

Creating market opportunities
for smallholder farmers and processors by
improving the quality and the
competitiveness of locally produced rice and
rice products

Facilitating the development
of the rice value chain through improved
technology targeting and evidence-based
policy-making

Mobilizing co-investments and
linking with development partners and the
private sector to stimulate uptake of rice
knowledge and technologies

Strengthening the capacities
of national rice research and extension
agents and rice value-chain actors.

The R4D strategy will be
implemented mainly under the umbrella of the
Global Rice
Science Partnership (GRiSP), a CGIAR
Research Program, in close collaboration with a
broad range of partners, notably the national
programs in Africa through the recently revamped
Africa-wide Rice Task Forces.

In line with the
major shift in focus of the Center’s strategy
from supply-driven research to more demand- or
market-driven research, research outputs will
be integrated in ‘Rice Sector Development Hubs’
(‘good practice areas’) to achieve development
outcomes and impact. Rice Sector Development
Hubs involve large groups of farmers (1000–5000)
and other value-chain actors, such as rice
millers, input dealers and rice marketers.

Complementing the many ongoing
national, regional and international efforts to
boost Africa’s rice sector, the strategy is
aligned with the CAADP Pillar 4 and envisages
stronger collaboration with regional forums and
economic communities in the continent.

“As an association of African
member countries and an international Center of
the CGIAR Consortium, AfricaRice is ideally
positioned to coordinate the implementation of
the new strategy in close collaboration with
its partners in order to boost Africa’s rice
sector and to achieve the ‘rice revolution’ the
continent so badly needs,” said Dr. Seck.

As a complement to this vision of
African rice R4D, a development plan is being
prepared that demonstrates the changes and
resources that need to be put in place for the
Center to fulfill its new strategic plan.

AfricaRice headquarters is based in Côte d’Ivoire. Staff are located in
Côte d’Ivoire and also in AfricaRice Research Stations in Benin, Ghana,
Liberia, Madagascar, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Tanzania. For
more information visit: www.AfricaRice.org

About CGIAR

CGIAR is a global research
partnership for a food-secure future. CGIAR science is dedicated to
reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving
natural resources and ecosystem services. Its research is carried out by
15 CGIAR Centers in close collaboration with hundreds of partners,
including national and regional research institutes, civil society
organizations, academia, development organizations and the private
sector.